The Return of the Doppelgänger
by BlueJellyBelly
Summary: Set a few years into the future, an ancient foe returns to wreck havoc on Equestria. Can the ponies once again rise up to the occasion and save their home from annihilation?


My Little Pony  
>Friendship is Magic<p>

**"****The Return of the** **Doppelgänger"  
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Chapter 1**  
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In the scant lambency of the moon, the far corners of Equestria were at rest. Luna, the goddess of nightfall, watched over her subjects on her rightful place on the lunar body. It was a lonely job. In fact, compared to her sister, her responsibilities were quite lax. She would always, though, carry a hint of jealousy over her older sister's position as the most loved in Equestria, and her betrayal did nothing to help her image among the common ponyfolk. Ever since being forgiven by Princess Celestia many years ago after being defeated by the Elements of Harmony, she had tried all she could to right her wrongs. Unfortunately, most see still see her as a threat; a vile creature who threatened to cast eternal blackness over their homes. Try as she could, she will never regain the respect she once attained a millennia ago. Her good name forever tainted by past deeds.

Luna stood up and brushed off the gray, soft powder from her hoofs. She stretched her legs and let out a sigh. From Equestria, the moon is a glowing orb of hope; a beacon to guide those in search of guidance and direction through the darkness. Yet, day after day, Luna trudges through a secluded, barren wasteland. For the moon itself is simply a tiny rock full of lifeless dirt and massive craters, giving evidence of a violent past. This was home.

Peace was all she wanted, though. Never will her jealousy get the better of her ever again. She loved her sister more than anything, and has learned her place as second in command. No one but Princess Celestia can rule over Equestria. But it seems that may not hold true for the foreseeable future.

Luna could sense it. Their reign as sisters would soon come to an end. She titled her head upwards and saw a glimmer of light peeking behind planet Earth. Day was coming. Her sister's warmth was the signal to recede and now let the day take its course. Night will soon be over.

Luna laid down again. Ever since the Elements of Harmony were acquired by Twilight Sparkle and her companions, she had gradually grown weaker. The same must be for her sister, because even though she may seem it, she is not immortal. When the time comes, she would personally discuss this issue with the princess herself. The passing of the torch is inevitable.

Staring at a nearby constellation, Luna suddenly caught a glimpse of something enormously bright. It was near blinding. A comet? Maybe a meteor? Whatever it was, she was already preparing herself to deflect it out of harms way. She studied its trajectory and suddenly her eyes widened with fear. It was gigantic, and not only that, it was headed straight for the moon. The object grew larger in the sky by the second. Luna knew whatever it was it was far too late now to stop it. Luna then jumped into a crater and spread her wings. She quickly created a magical force field and braced for the worst.

The object made impact. Luna was knocked off her feet and hit the ground with such velocity, she was almost knocked unconscious. Scorching heat then began to tear holes into the celestial pony's magical barrier. Luna gritted her teeth and stood her ground with all of her strength. The ground shook violently as the explosion rattled the entire moon. After the initial shock has calmed down, Luna ran towards the impact site to examine the damage the moon had sustained. What she saw before her was horrifying. A giant hole the size of football field, with a seemingly never ending bottom. She carefully peered from the edge and looked downward, only fire and darkness burst forth from it. She studied the rest of the area as best she could though the storm of ash that pounded the surface. The impact had scorched this side of the moon black.

Whatever it was though, it seemed to be over. Luna began to back away from the crater. As she walked of, she heard something strange, something she hadn't heard in a very long time. A squeak, almost like a guinea pig's, only a bit higher pitched. Her legs began to tremble. She quickly turned around and fear overcame her.

It had returned.

What floated before her a simple black orb, with two red eyes. It stared at Luna for a second before suddenly expanding into a giant web. Luna knew what was coming and jumped back with her hind legs, head pointing towards the creature. Her horn began to glow a brilliant green, and wasted no time in attacking. Her spell made impact, and half of the creature's web and limbs began to dissolve. It let out an ear piecing screech of pain, and Luna began shot her spell at it once more. It missed. _One last shot_, thought Luna. Not only had the impact weakened her, but the magic she was currently using was highly forbidden. The lethal magic was also draining her life force, but she had no other choice. The creature slowly floated towards her, in pain but still attempting to capture its prey. Luna gritted her teeth once more and concentrated what she had left into her horn. With an ear piercing yell of her own, she fired her final shot.

The creature, sensing what was coming, expanded itself in the middle and created a hole inside itself to let the shot of magic completely pass through it, but barely. Luna, at this point, collapsed to the floor. The beast inched closer. Faint, but still there, Luna used the last bit of her magic to create a small beacon of light going upward. Hopefully somebody would notice. The black creature made contact with Luna, and it slowly began to absorb itself into her. Luna began to shake uncontrollably, feeling the darkness slowly consume her. This was the end, she thought. Luna's last thoughts were of her and her sister, the last time they were happy together before Discord began to wreck havoc. Her breathing quickened. Her eyelids began to flutter and was slowly losing her sight.

Her heart then stopped. Lifeless and unmoving, a black ooze slowly began to creep from her mouth. As the rest came out, it slowly began to take shape as it lifted itself from the ground. The black orb began to grow legs, sprout wings, and a horn began to burst forth form it's newly developed head. A purplish hue began to color the being's body, and when the transformation was complete, it stepped down and stretched its legs. The creature, now with a smile on its face, looked over to Luna's lying body, and gave it a gentle kick. Luna's body suddenly turned into a smoldering pile of ash. And that was the end of it.

The creature then slowly made its way to the other side of the moon, nearly blinded by the sun light. It hissed and covered its face with its wings. _You'll get used to it…_

"Princess Luna!" yelled one of the guards as he rushed his way towards her. "What happened? I can as soon as I can after hearing the explosion and seeing your light beacon!"

"It's fine, Brutus. A stray meteor has hit us."

"Are you alright then, my Princess? You were right near the impact zone."

"I'm fine really, but thank you for your concern! The meteor was on a crash course for Earth, so I changed its trajectory and had it hit us instead. It was… a very close call."

"Then, my majesty, we are all forever in indebted to you." The guard then bowed and raised its wings. "Please give me the honor then of spreading the word of your most recent victory."

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I plan to personally speak to Princess Celestia of this. I want to ask a favor of you, though."

"Of course Princess Luna, anything for you."

"I want you to personally send a message to Princess Celestia of my upcoming visit. I am far too weak at the current moment to do much of anything, and I need my rest. Can you do this for me? I want her to be prepared when I come to visit Equestria."

"I would be honored to." As the guard flew away with the message, the creature smiled.

Revenge will be sweet.

A/N: First story, feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes.

More to come ^_^


End file.
